My Tata Safari Storme Varicor : 400 Nm & 4x4

This is a discussion on My Tata Safari Storme Varicor : 400 Nm & 4x4 within Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; Nice Videos Saurabh & congratz on the truck.
I am in the same situation now, have to replace my ageing ...

I am in the same situation now, have to replace my ageing 2008 safari 2WD for a 4x4. I have been scared to look at the Hexa with the reports of a poor foot well & looks like when people at home accompany me to the showroom, i could be forced to settle for a Storme 4x4. Also the weekends aren't on my side, hence playing it very slow.

While the Videos are indeed good, this alone cannot be a testament of the prowess of the vehicle as the drivers are not unique across the cars - my opinion.

I have been scared to look at the Hexa with the reports of a poor foot well

Yes, the Hexa has less space to the left of the clutch pedal when compared to the Safari. But you should check it out for yourself if this really is uncomfortable for you.

I used to drive a Wagon R and I used to rest my left foot on the floor and in front of the clutch pedal. My next car was a used Corolla which had a dead pedal by the side of the clutch pedal and I happily used it without issues. I then bought a Manza and later a Zest, both of which didn't have a dead pedal. I am back to resting my foot on the floor and in front of the clutch pedal. Personally I don't have any issues with this.
You really have to try it out for yourself.

There is one more issue and it is not a consistent problem. The Steering wheel vibrates slightly once I reach 100 kmph. It invariably happens 2 out of 3 times. TASS says it is normal for all Stormes which is highly doubtful. What is the possible solution?

Please get all wheels balanced in front of you. As well as the alignment. I have seen 160 on the odo with zero vibrations. Of course on safe highway roads with no speed limit.
The vehicle reaches 100-120 in no time at all. So having vibrations is highly unsafe.

If it still has the vibrations have them call in the area service manager from Tata. Go on a drive with him on another storme.
There is zero vibration on the steering.

Another point. Ask them to lift the vehicle on the hoist and have someone slot the vehicle in 4H in first gear at moderate speed. Any wobble of the wheel can then be spotted as well.

Great pics of the Manali trip. Wasn't it a big job to clean all the snow later? Also any issues with fuel freezing causing starting troubles?

The snow was cleared in 10 minutes from the Storme (except the roof which I left it as it is). There was absolutely no issue in starting even when the truck was parked under snow for more than 36 hours. It started in one go as usual. The Seat belt warning buzzer came on and vanished only after 6 hours of drive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by centaur

OT - while the number plate has been masked in all other pics, its clearly visible in the 5th one. Unless intentional you may want to mask that one too

I was not sure of posting that picture but it got selected in the process.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enobarbus

Great pics. The Storme looks cool (literally). It looks like you left some packages on the luggage rack in the last picture. Is everything (the packages and the vehicle) OK in the snow?

Thanks Enonarbus! I left nothing on the roof when it was parked. However, I cleaned hood and front windscreen a couple of times but did not attempt to clean the roof even once. I left Manali with snow on the roof which eventually fell off in 5 hours drive.

The FE seems to be on the lower side Sourabh. Is this on the lines of what you usually get on the highways?

No, I usually get between 12 to 14 on highways depending on the various conditions. This time there were the following reasons for this low figure:

Had to drive with 4WD engaged for quite some time in snowy conditions.

There was an hour long jam in Manali while reaching and 4 hour long jam while leaving.

The approach road to hotel was quite steep and had to engage 1st at times.

I deflated the tyres to 20 psi for better traction in snow. Inflated them again to 30 with my portable tyre inflator which was quite a time consuming job. I thought I will get them to proper pressure once I reach Kullu but all tyre shops were shut by the time I reached there. I drove all the way to Gurgaon (600 odd kms) with low pressure tyres. Eventually when I got them inflated again and realised that they were in a range of 24-26 psi only; that means the gauge on my inflator gives wrong readings.

Storme was loaded with 4 adults and 2 kids at all times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Nice to see the Storme covered with snow! I believe it's better to park the car facing the wall at very low temperature zones. I have read this in a couple of posts.

I see Storme (and other vehicles too) was parked facing the open space in couple of pics. Might be something you want to keep in mind next time.

Thank you swiftnfurious!

The vehicles were parked facing the approach road as the parking was tight with a lot of snow. It would be very difficult to reverse it in such situations. Moreover, as a rule the vehicles should be parked in gear opposite to the direction of slope. If the road is sloping down in the direction of the car then it should be parked in reverse gear and vice versa. At all times there should be a brick or similar object placed below the tyre to stop any movement. hand brakes should be avoided in sub zero temperatures as it might freeze with the drums (not valid for Storme though).

Good to see that you are enjoying the Storme and putting the 4WD to good effect. However, it is not a good idea to leave snow on the vehicle. It can convert into ice and on hard braking go and hit the vehicle ahead like a projectile.

Good to see that you are enjoying the Storme and putting the 4WD to good effect. However, it is not a good idea to leave snow on the vehicle. It can convert into ice and on hard braking go and hit the vehicle ahead like a projectile.

Completely agree! I was even afraid that the bulk may damage my antenna or wipers (if in motion) However, it was too soft when I checked it and decided to take my chances as getting it cleared was a humongous task. Moreover, the carrier on the roof prevented its easy removal.